As a new Christian, I presumed Jesus’ main job was taking care of me. He led to me a job, roommates to share apartment costs, and a car that ran. But after a while my tastes got fussier. Like the Israelites waking up to manna every morning, I was tired of the same-old, same-old. I wanted a home with more privacy, a more interesting yet less stressful job, and a shinier new car. My list continued to grow. I wanted Jesus to perk me up when I was down, remove my difficulties, and make living a whole lot easier.

When those things didn’t come, I felt as if Jesus had walked away from me. What I didn’t realize was that He had put loving distance between us, just as He did with the crowd that night, knowing that they wanted to force Him to be king. For me, and for them, it took a stormy night to point out why those expectations were off base.

SOURCE: Quinton Morrow in "I am the Bread of Life" on www.sermoncentral.com

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